I’m Sorry, Forgive Me; Candidate Accused of Forgery Tells JAMB Registrar Before Reps

The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board candidate who was accused of inflating her scores has tendered apology to the Registrar of the Board, Prof Ishaq Oloyede.
Miss Ejikeme Mmesom, who claimed to have scored 362 instead of 249 tendered the apology in a letter she read before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the alleged manipulation of UTME results on Wednesday in Abuja.
Recall that two weeks ago the House moved in support of a motion to investigate the said alleged manipulation of UTME results by Mmesoma.
Present at the Investigative hearing is the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and it management.
Mmesoma had stirred controversy after she accused JAMB of changing her results, a claim denied by the examination body.
Mmesomma had confessed before a special panel set up by the Anambra state government which said in its report that the 19 year old candidate committed fraud.
In a statement on Saturday JAMB said it was vindicated despite many who stood in favour of the girl and made attempts to impugn the integrity of the examination body.
The report of the Commission of Inquiry set up by the Anambra State Government, an independent and unbiased body, as demanded by some Nigerians to look into the Mmesoma saga, has vindicated the Board. This has further reinforced the position of the Board that its system was not and cannot be compromised.”
The body said It is to be noted that the Board has built a reputation in terms of the conduct of credible examinations over the years and cannot afford to fail the nation at this critical juncture of its development.
“Therefore, we will not despair in spite of the painful realisation that some Nigerians would do anything to cast aspersions on the good name of the Board,” it said
Saying it remains undisturbed by those who vilified it, the body said it would not be discouraged.
“However, in spite of all the posturing of its detractors, the Board remains resolute and uncompromising in its commitment to give Nigeria the best as far as credible and fair assessment is concerned.
In fact, the Board is, more than ever, determined to continue to forge ahead unmindful of the shenanigan of those who desire its fall.
“For the benefit of those who are still doubting the capacity of Ms. Mmesoma to commit this egregious crime and those who are pushing the narrative that the girl is just 16 years old even against all available data that indicate her age as an adult of 19 years, Ms. Mmesoma has owned up to committing the heinous infraction, which was carefully crafted to destroy the very foundation of one of the nation’s agencies charged with the critical role of apportioning the limited educational resource of the nation based on fairness equity and integrity.
It is, therefore, highly regrettable that some Nigerians, who do not believe in the strength and resourcefulness of their nation’s institutions, would latch on to any opportunity to pull the Board down to their level of perfidy.”
JAMB said one vital lesson to be drawn from the saga is for Nigerians to learn to believe their national institutions.
“One vital lesson that Nigerians should learn from the imbroglio, is to learn to appreciate the genuine efforts of their critical national institutions to chart the course of national rebirth. Hence, this attitude of attacking everything that makes the nation proud even by people who should know better, is disheartening. The flip side of this is to infer that some ethnic jingoists had perhaps been elevated to public office and recognition beyond their mental and emotional capacity.
The Board would continue to be guided by the principles of inclusiveness and fairness as demonstrated by its seamless and unprompted deployment of a dedicated software called the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS), which not only eliminates human interference in the admission process, but also engenders equity, fairness, transparency to all as we do not know tribe or religion.
The public is assured of our unwavering commitment to upholding sanctity of the fabric of the nation’s educational system hence our resolve to always deliver credible and fair assessment remains unshaken.”